Pick me up
by LadyRandz
Summary: Something's wrong with Brittany, and it's breaking the Rachel Berry we all know. Multi character focus, further pairings and genres within. May not make sense, cos I rarely do. I don't do romance the best though, this is mainly friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N: OMG, I know, I have TWO other fics that are incomplete, but i reiterate, not abandoned. I will get back to those once life goes back to safe, and I have the time to carefully plot out the scenarios, etc..**

**Disclaimers all apply : I wish I owned something actually. I don't even own my pillow. **

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><p><em><strong>AN: I haven't thought about the pairings just yet, or the genre, but it's likely they contain more than the listed ones. I should just stop writing at the dead of night. I type embarrassing stuff. **_

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><p>"<em>You love Artie, remember?"<em>

The blonde dancer only stared at the receding outline of her Heartsong as the fiery Latina walked away.

Britanny looked down at her hands, wondering at the sight of her one hand clutched to her chest. _I can feel my heart beat all weird. Is my hand like a doctor's headphone thingy?_ Was her last thought as she collapsed against her locker, not even recognising her own body's betrayal.

Rachel was panicking. No, she wasn't losing her voice, nor was she about to see her mother for the last time. She would gladly face a hoard of slushies or be taunted (Nor egged. The poor dead chicks' souls just finally forgave her) by having foods hurled at her, but she would never willingly go through what she had just witnessed right now.

She was simply walking to her locker, quite close to Brittany's in fact, when she noticed the normally cheery blonde simply fall in an ungraceful heap. Immediately, the pint-sized diva sprung into action, pushing her fears to the back of her mind, trying to recall her previous training in Emergency First Aid.

Noting that the girl showed no outward signs of any injuries, she tried to feel for her pulse, her panic resurfacing when she frantically tried to locate it but failing. Eyes widening, she feels at the blonde's neck, and allows herself to feel some relief. It's weak, barely discernible, but it's there. She tries her best to resuscitate the unconscious girl, performing CPR desperately, willing the girl to _please live!_

Kurt stares in horror, not expecting such a scene at all. Immensely grateful that he caved in to Rachel's pleas to cut class and visit her at McKinley High, he immediately dials 911, and attempts to calmly explain the scene to the dispatcher, awaiting any further instruction to relay while they wait for the paramedics to take over for Rachel.

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><p>The students filed into the choir room, oblivious to the sombre tone in the air, only realising something was wrong when they saw Artie on the floor, unmoving except for his hand faintly beating at the ground. Santana smirked at this. <em>Pffft. And she chose this loser over me? Bitch is crazy. No puta worth a damn turns down this sexy.<em> As if to reassure herself of this, she turns to kiss Sam on the lips, shocked when he pushes her away. Sam and Puck rushed to Artie's prone body, lifting him up into his chair while righting it as well. They wondered at his furious expression, flinching when they heard the boy resume a seemingly long drawn out tirade.

"Get me the fuck out of here and to the fucking hospital, assholes. I don't give a fuck if you don't want to, I am fucking getting to my fucking girl!"

After a quick exchange of glances, Puck began to push the chair while Sam sprinted out of the room, the three disappearing from the room while the remaining club members stood there, slack jawed at what had just occurred.

* * *

><p>"What happened, Berry, Hummel?" Puck had obviously hoped that now he no longer could hear the verbally abusive tirade Artie kept on with. Rachel was just wide-eyed, seemingly catatonic.<p>

"Brittany just passed out all of a sudden. We just got here in the ambulance." Kurt feigned calm, but Puck saw the slight tremor in his hand as the reformed gossip fixed his hair. "Rachel hasn't said a word since I saw her work frantically to revive Brittany."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o ~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o ~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

"I don't understand how that can happen. No one just stops functioning out of the blue. What's wrong with her?" Artie demanded, furious and bewildered.

"Sir, I cannot understand it myself. Her body's in perfect condition. Quite literally. The symmetry in her is unbelievable, her individual organs are beyond model, it's uncanny, the perfection within a body. Almost as if she was genetically engineered. But for some reason, it's almost as if someone flipped a switch in her and turned her whole body off"

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><p>Brittany walked into the auditorium quietly, Rachel snaking in behind her, looking slightly worried.<p>

"Guys, I'm sorry I got you all freaked out and stuff when I went on a mind holiday last week," Brittany started off, shuffling slightly, a little nervous. "But the doctor said I shouldn't keep doing that, and to not do that, he said I need to let myself think and feel whatever it is I block out, supposedly." She locked gaze with Santana momentarily, eyes watery, but smiling. "Mr. Schuester, do you think I may please sing this one song?" Rachel pulled a stool up to her, patting her shoulder as she moved to go back to the giant steps that they sat on. "Rachel, can you please help me? I know you know the words, and I know you're not a back- up, but please help me? You guys, you know who this is for. But first I have to say, thank you so much Rachel. I know I may not say smart things, or be smart, but like, Rachel, you showed me how to understand how I feel, and I totally get why you like to sing all the time. It really is Antarctic." The blonde beamed so happily at the little diva that she didn't have the heart to correct her. She simply patted her shoulder, and went to sit on one of the stools in the back. "And guys? Hold on to your seats, cos I don't want you to join in."

**Do, Do you got a first aid kit handy?**  
><strong>Do, Do you know how to patch up a wound?<strong>  
><strong>Tell me, are you patient, understanding?<strong>  
><strong>Cause I might need some time to clear the hold in my heart and <strong>  
><strong>I've tried every remedy<strong>  
><strong>And nothing seems to work for me<strong>  
><strong>Baby, this situation is driving me crazy<strong>  
><strong>And I really wanna be your lady<strong>  
><strong>But the one before you left me so<strong>

**Damaged, damaged**  
><strong>Damaged, damaged<strong>  
><strong>I thought that I should let you know<strong>  
><strong>That my heart is<strong>  
><strong>Damaged, damaged<strong>  
><strong>So Damaged<strong>  
><strong>And you can blame the one before<strong>

**Can you fix my h-e-a-r-t**  
><strong>Cause it d-a-m-a-g-e-d<strong>  
><strong>Can you fix my h-e-a-r-t<strong>  
><strong>Tell me are you up for the challenge<strong>

**How you gonna fix it, fix it, fix it**

Artie wheeled over to Brittany, tugging her onto his lap, holding her tight, soothing her. Rachel snuck up to the couple, whispering to the girl, "It's okay to cry Brittany, if you're feeling the tears."

She moved away from the couple, giving them space, but keeping an eye on Brittany. The rest of the group had varying reactions to the performance. Santana just kept clenching and unclenching her fists and fuming. Mike and Tina rushed over to hug the couple, trying to offer as much comfort to the dancer, not knowing too well how to. Sam and Finn watched Rachel, albeit not so inconspicuously for one of them. Quinn rolled her eyes at her not-quite-boyfriend's reaction, and went over to the 4 huggers, and planted a kiss on Brittany's head. Santana stormed out of the room, Mercedes and Lauren watching her, bewildered. Their confusion only grew when they spotted Kurt entering the room seconds later, followed by Blaine, Wes, David, and a few other vaguely familiar faces. For some reason, the only person in the room not surprised by this turn of events was Rachel, which irked Mercedes slightly, but she figured she'd talk to her Divas later for clarification.

"Mercedes, you know Blaine. This is Wes, David, James, Leo, and Bart. Guys, this is Mercedes, our Chocolate Diva. That incognito Bambi down there's Rachel, our Caramel Diva. Let's go though." Kurt smiled but Mercedes could see the sadness he was trying to mask. Lauren was chatting happily with one of the other Warblers, which Puck found a little odd, but chose to focus on Rachel instead. _Hummel and Rachel are too sad. Something's deffo wrong here._

The 7 Warblers and Rachel took their positions on the floor, Kurt and Rachel having discussed their impromptu performance with Mr. Schuester. Everyone expected Blaine to be a lead, either with Rachel or Kurt as his duet partner, or both partnering with him in a trio. Instead, the 6 remaining Warblers sat behind them in a backing line up, with Kurt and Rachel on their stools infront, eyes downcast. They started humming and the two began

**I never thought I'd die alone**  
><em>I laughed the loudest who'd have known<em>  
><strong>I traced the cord back to the wall<strong>  
><strong>No wonder it was never plugged in at all <strong>  
><strong>I took my time, I hurried up<strong>  
><em>The choice was mine, <strong>I didn't think enough<strong>_  
><em><strong> I'm too depressed, to go on <strong>_  
><em><strong> You'll be sorry when I'm gone<strong>_

**I never conquered, rarely came**  
><em><strong>16 just held such better days <strong>_  
><em><strong> Days when I still felt alive<strong>_  
><em>We couldn't wait to get outside <em>  
><em> The world was wide, too late to try<em>  
><strong>The tour was over we'd survived <strong>  
><strong> I couldn't wait till I got home<strong>  
><em><strong>To pass the time in my room alone<strong>_

_**I never thought I'd die alone **_  
><em><strong> Another six months I'll be unknown<strong>_  
><em>Give all my things to all my friends<em>  
><strong>You'll never set foot in my room again <strong>  
><strong> You'll close it off, board it up<strong>  
><em>Remember the time that I spilled the cup <em>  
><em> Of apple juice in the hall<em>  
><em><strong>Please tell mom this is not her fault<strong>_

_I never conquered, rarely came _  
><em> Tomorrow holds such better days<em>  
><em><strong>Days when I can still feel alive<strong>_  
><strong>When I can't wait to get outside <strong>  
><strong> The world is wide, the time goes by<strong>  
><em>The tour is over, I'd survived <em>  
><em> I can't wait till I get home<em>  
><em><strong>To pass the time in my room alone <strong>_

Finn and Sam were the first to recognise the song, but neither understood the meaning in this case. Artie was crying silently, holding onto his girlfriend tighter, whispering words of comfort into her ear. Quinn, Tina, Mercedes and Puck understood that this was a sad scene, but didn't understand what they were missing. At this point, Mr. Schue cleared his throat and thanked them for their performance.

"If I may, Mr. Schue? Rachel and I have an announcement to make, of sorts. Guys, Glee Club is an important aspect of our lives. We made friends here that we'll likely never find elsewhere in our lives. I may be a Warbler now, but NewDirections is like my second family. I may have left McKinley, but your wins, losses, pains and happinesses still affect me. It affects us. But Glee Club cannot be the only place where we're allowed to care."

"If I am annoying, if Kurt is conceited, if Mercedes is demanding, these are not good enough reasons to act like you're better than us. If Brittany is suffering but puts a smile on her face, it should not take a near-disaster for us to care. Glee club is not supposed to be our one time place in which we care. Singing about our pain should not be our only catharsis. We shouldn't put ourselves on hold because it's not the time or place. Now, we were lucky with Kurt going to Dalton Academy. Next time, we might not be so lucky. I'm not asking you guys to suddenly become best friends and have sleepovers tonight. I'm begging you to please stop lying to yourselves, and actually care. This room full of students today? Look around. Imagine the person next to you being in your life 10 years from now. Now imagine this self same person, gone tomorrow, for whatever reason. I am standing here before you today, asking you to do something, and I will do it to. There is someone in this room you have never spoken to. Chang that today. And please, care."

Rachel delivered her impassioned speech as quickly as her lungs would allow, tears in her eyes flowinf freely. She walked up to Sam and stuck out her hand, as if meeting him for the first time. "Hello, my name is Rachel Berry, and I am obnoxious and annoying. I also think you have a beautiful smile." She then waited for him to respond, while Kurt walked up to Lauren and did the same. "Hello, I am Kurt Hummel. I am a narcisstic gay boy who left this school under threat of my life. I also like your smile."

Lauren blushed coyly, while Puck grinned and walked to the boy his girl was chatting with earlier. "Hey, I'm Puck. I'm a crude manwhore, and I think you can beatbox pretty sick."  
>The boy laughed and replied with a smile, "Hey, I'm Bart, Lauren's brother, and I'm a wimpy annoyance. I've heard stories about you, and I think you're pretty badass." The entire room erupted into laughter and joined in, and for once, the laughter was genuine, and without malice. And if Mr. Schuester teared up, blaming allergies, not one person chose to question him about it. It may have not started out as the purpose of the club, but if this was where it was turning, he could hardly pretend to mind.<p>

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><p><strong>A.N: No promises on updates, other than the fact that I fully intend to and have scenarious plotted. Exams be a cruel master. Reviews make me happy though, and make the sting hurt less<strong>


	2. Author's NotePlea COOKIES

Hello Lovely Readers!

I am sorry, it may appear that I am trolling, but I have undergone MASSIVE life changes in the past few months, which I shall blame for my lack of updates. I now have a very erratic connection, so I suppose in my free time I should be able to write my fingers off and upload and keep you happy, right?

But I shall be selfish :D

I make a plea for a dedicated, patient, AWESOME beta...but I have a few criteria that is vital to the position at the moment...said beta will be heavily rewarded in love, gratitude, first peeks at my work...and maybe, cookies.

Beta will not need to be a major fan of any of the fandoms I subscribe to, but need to have an open mind, and be accessible by either Facebook, MSN messenger, or BlackBerry Messenger. (Actually, the last two are the ones I can transfer files on, but I have regular access to FB)

Also, biggest reason I make this plea for Beta is because I am working on an original piece that I have high hopes for, but I need someone who has good taste to judge it so I know just how much hope I should invest in it.

I plan on uploading/updating once a week from now on, at least one of my stories, plus a one-shot occasionally, but I reiterate my beta plea. I needs a muse. Dust bunnies don't generate much in the ways of plots. KikiMunster will be much appreciative. Thank you, and goodnight. *takes a bow*


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: **Uh, hello, my sincerest apologies for being so MIA for so long. I can't promise it'll never happen again, I do get distracted, and even worse, disenchanted.

I've been severely uninspired since moving further north and away from my friends and stuff, so even attempting to write just put me in a funk, but thanks to a lot of cherished people and the loss of internet for a little over 48 hours, I bring you this chapter. I hope it satisfies you, for now?

**AN2: I am just saying...more constructive/tangible reviews inspire more work and faster!  
><strong>

**The songs from the previous chapter were:  
><strong>

**1.** _Damaged - Danity_ Kane  
><strong>2. <strong>_Adam's Song - Blink 182_**  
><strong>

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><p>Santana ran out into the hall, seething with anger, and her eyes brimming with tears. Of course Brittany was damaged. She knew that when they were together, and it tore her apart. And if she were honest with herself, that was more the reason she stayed in the closet, kicking and screaming at anyone who dared try to let her out.<p>

She knew that was this angry, bitter person who lashed out before she'd allow herself to feel anything good. She knew that it broke Brittany's heart that refused to admit that she was in love with her, that she called their times together simply, her getting her lady kisses on, cos she was "Like a lizard," she needs somebody warm under her to digest. And worst of all, she knew she was a selfish bitch, forcing all this turmoil upon Brittany, but she was scared, and she was stupid, because by not wanting to hurt her Brit Brit further, she almost killed her.

Knowing that she was hiding in a very obvious place, and had been there far too long, she was worried about someone finding her. And as her luck would have had it, Rachel was walking her way right now.

~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~

"Santana, I'm sorry, I know this is hard for you. Harder than this moment is for me to ask you, but I have to ask, and you have to listen. Coming out may be the scariest thing for you right now, and you're afraid that your parents will disown you, your family will abandon you, and your friends will shun you." Rachel was trying her best not to lecture the Latina, but she had words that needed to be said, and for once, they weren't for her. "I can't ask you to just overcome all that in an instant, even if I can promise you a room in my house if you ever need it, and a shoulder or an ear if you ever seek it. But I'm asking you to consider this. If you love Brittany, do it."

Rachel could see that Santana was close to tears, and her face was clouded with anger, fear, guilt, and shame, but she saw the steely glint of determination in the girl's eyes, and she charged on. "She may be falling for Artie, but she knows as well as you and I do that he's just filling a role that doesn't fit him. She's trying to fit a square into a star-shaped hole, and she's just breaking apart each time she realises that he's not meant for her. "

Suppressing the desire to give the girl a hug, Rachel walked away from Santana, hoping for a miracle.

~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~

Hearing the loud yet quick knocking on the door, Hiram rushed to answer it, curious as to who would be visiting the Berry household on a weekday evening.

Opening the door cautiously, he was surprised to see an angry looking girl around his daughter's age, crying silently but freely. He didn't hesitate to usher the girl in, closing the door behind her, and sending off a quick prayer in his head to whatever higher power that he could help the girl.

"Is Rachel here?" Santana asked tersely, her emotions too frayed for her to even feign pleasantry.

"She's at a friend's house, I believe the girl's name is Brittany? The one who had taken ill lately?" Hiram knew he wasn't the most attentive parent, but he was striving to make up for past mistakes, learning the names of his daughter's friends being a step towards that. He didn't recall Rachel mentioning a girl matching the description of the one in front of him, but if he was learning anything about his daughter lately, it was that emotional anguish was a trait that she exhibited a lot of, and drew others of similar stature towards her too.

"Oh, ok. Can you tell me when she'd be home?" Santana just wanted to hug somebody, and she was hating that right now, in this moment of utter vulnerability, she was turning to the one girl she'd tormented for years.

"I've already asked her to be home for dinner, which is in less than an hour, so she should be home in about 20 to 40 minutes. Why don't you go wait for her in her room? I'll let her know you're here when she arrives." Hiram offers, trying to figure out how to help the child, but figuring she'd deal better with his daughter right then. "I am assuming you'll be staying for dinner? Don't be fooled by the tone, that wasn't a question. Now go on up." he shooed her up the stairs, sighing heavily.

~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~

Santana stirred awake from her impromptu nap on Rachel's bed, and rubbed her eyes groggily as she took in her surroundings. In front of her, she saw Rachel watching her carefully, nervously fidgeting with her hands.

"Daddy told me you were in my room, and I was thinking you were here to yell at me for confronting you today, or something, but I figured I deserve it, so here I am. Lay it on me." Rachel babbled, screwing her eyes shut at the last moment and shrugging her shoulders, awaiting the descent of the cheerleader's wrath upon her. Instead, Santana launched herself at Rachel, flinging her arms around her crushing her into a desperate hug, sobbing into the girl's shoulder.

"I told them, and you were right, they abandoned me, and now I can't go back, even my own friends don't want me, and I've broken Brit Brit too much to run to her. " she wept, holding onto Rachel like a lifeline." I hate that I'm this weak, and this alone, and the one time I do anything right, the world punishes me cos I'm such a bad person. And to make it worse, the only person I can and want to turn to is the one person who'd be more justified to hate me than anyone else on the planet, and I just desperately want a friend, want her as my friend, cos she's the only one I know who knows what it means to be one."

"Oh Santana, sweetie, I don't hate you. And I'm glad you want to be my friend, cos I want to be yours, and I'm here for you, happily and unwaveringly. Now, we just have to get ready for dinner, as daddy will not be pleased if we're late for that." Rachel patted Santana's back gently, trying to soothe the heartbroken mess in her embrace. "I heard you're staying for dinner? That's perfect. We can talk afterwards. And from what I heard, I don't think there'll be an issue with you staying over tonight either?"

Relieved, Santana gave Rachel a grateful smile, shaking her head and taking the offered hand and as the smaller of the two girls led them to a life-changing meal that neither were fully anticipating.

~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~

"So, Santana, tell us something about yourself? Prior to this afternoon, I had not heard a single thing about you and I'm surprised by that fact." Hiram demanded, pointedly raising an eyebrow in question as he stared down Rachel, then Santana, then back to Rachel.

"Daddy, the past is where it belongs, as you say, and the present is upon us and we only have to worry about the future that we can shape. Santana has just come out to her family, and is currently going through a hard time, probably not unlike your own experience in the same situation." Rachel blurted out, leaving Santana mildly horrified until the cheerleader realised that out of all the explanations that were true, only the most painful for Santana would garner her any sympathy from her new friend's parents. Hating that pain and torment were her only legacies until now, Santana tried to change the subject until she was more comfortable owning up to herself, so with a mouth not-quite-empty of the food, she declared, "Ay Dios mio, this steak is good. But I thought you were a vegan, Rachel? So what gives?"

Rachel noted the abrupt change in conversation and wisely went along with it, also proud to have found someone take an interest in her dietary/lifestyle choices. "Actually, that's a Portobello mushroom cap! Everything on this table, in fact, in this house, is now 100% vegan friendly. Thanks to extensive research and two very loving, supportive dads, I managed to make the switch comfortably and without much difficulty." Hiram beamed at Rachel, proud of his little girl.

"When Rachel came to us at 10 years old, upset over the fact that we ate animals that she could just as easily grow to love, we simply gave her 2 options. She could either get over it, or try to fix it." LeRoy pushed on the bridge of his glasses. " That weekend, she researched everything to do with veganism, including nutritional guides, warnings, recipes, and alternatives. The next Friday she had her last beef steak, and we all went scouring the local stores."

Hiram couldn't help but gush," And she's never looked back since. Even if we all thought she'd regret her decision since she's such a steak fan. But not our Rachel."

Clearing his throat, LeRoy nodded," So, Santana, I take it you'll be staying here for a while? That's good. You'll be able to help Rachel when we're not around, although we're trying to reduce that occurrence. Speaking of which, I would like to remind you, Rachel, of the foster program? Well, they had an emergency, and it seems that we'll be fostering someone sooner than we were anticipating. Or, some people, I should say." grabbing a hold of his husband's hand and stroking it affectionately, LeRoy now directed his proud gaze onto Hiram. "It is unusual to have so many kids sent to one household, but your daddy pulled some strings and convinced them that separating the siblings would not be beneficial, especially since the situation is hopefully not too permanent."

Rachel nodded, wiping her mouth. "I'll prepare the spare bedrooms? Which ones? And do you know the ages?" Santana gaped in amazement at the efficiency and compassion of the family in front of her, all of them so ready and willing to help selflessly, without hesitation.

"I just need to have a long chat with Santana after dinner while your dad discusses those details with you, and we'll go from there, ok?" Hiram had on a firm expression on his face, softened by the warmth of his smile, and although Santana wasn't looking forward to the conversation, she was at least not dreading it altogether either.

~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~

SPOV

"Ok, so I know this is not the most comfortable situation for you, but we all need transparency." Hiram led Santana into his den/office, gesturing towards one of the overstuffed chairs. Taking a seat in the vacant one, he took a deep breath and continued. "It was easy to tell that you have a history you're not very comfortable discussing that may involve our daughter, and speaking from past experience I can readily guess at most of it. But like I have, I'm hoping you won't be hindered by the ghosts of your painful past and learn from your mistakes."

Santana nodded , nerves dissipating fast at his words. "As you probably figured out from that conversation, we are a foster family as well, and will be fostering kids on a regular basis. That means it won't be an issue having you stay here, and I can take care of that before the week is done. It also means that there will be some rules that you have to abide to. And we don't like to dole out punishments, so please don't force that upon us." Hiram continued in a firm tone, authoritative but still warm.

Santana bit her lip, looking around furtively, searching. Hiram grinned, handing her a pen, and pulling a pack out of a drawer in the desk they previously ignored. Passing her a new notepad, he chuckled at the relief evident on the girl's face. "Make your lists, child. You and I are more alike than I initially thought, it seems." pulling out his own well-worn notepad from his back pocket, he read them out.

"Firstly, you are not a guest here, so that means for the duration of your stay here, you are to treat it like home. You will be assigned chores, and they are non-negotiable. Do them sufficiently, and you will be awarded with a higher allowance. Secondly, you have a curfew of 9pm on weekdays and Sunday, but that's extended to 11 pm Friday and Saturday. That's also non-negotiable, but special occasions are taken into consideration, and if you discuss them with me prior, we can work something out. You treat everyone the way you want to be treated. Respect and trust are two major things we value in this household, and once that is lost, it is hard to regain, and even then, it's marred. Asking for help is never weak, but an act of strength. Rachel tries to be the best she can be, but she's just a 17 year old girl, and as much as she resents it, it does show from time to time."

Santana sighed, fighting tears. Wisely ignoring them, Hiram pushed on. "You are just a child, no matter what you think you've been through, and you should not and will not be alone. Not only Rachel, but LeRoy and myself are here for you too. I understand your anguish at this moment, and once you feel like it's possible for you, we can contact your family and you can speak to them in a safe space, and hopefully you can either resolve this, or get the closure you need."

Putting his notepad away, Hiram grinned at the girl in front of him. "And if there's anything else, you will be forewarned, don't worry. For Rachel's sake, most importantly, do not allow any non-vegan items into the house. Don't worry about missing meat though, we have a standing reservation at Red Lobster or the Outback alternating every other Tuesday. That's when Rachel goes to ballet class after glee, so we have time to sneak in our carnivorous fix without her minding too much. But don't rub that in, she's not trying to be annoying about it, it's a genuine cause she believes in. And now, off to your room, I'm sure you have homework you'd like to have done before bed?"

Relieved, Santana finished writing down her notes, she hugged Hiram before she really got to contemplate the action, and ran off to find her newfound confidant.

~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~

RPOV

"So they're going to be 3 kids?"

"2 kids, the third is a young man about your age. In fact, he goes to your school." LeRoy walked his daughter through the rooms, mentally checking off which rooms would best suit the 3 siblings that they were going to be fostering for the foreseeable future. "The 2 younger ones, 6 year old twins, a girl and boy, are likely sharing a room. Their brother can get the room adjoining their shared bathroom. But you do need to remember that these kids, especially the girl, need to feel like a part of this family. Just because they aren't separated from each other, doesn't mean they don't miss their parents. Hopefully, we can provide them with enough love and security that it won't hurt so much. And I'm sure you're just going to love being a big sister at last." he smiled down at his petite daughter, grinning at the all consuming happiness that was spreading through her features. "Don't personalise it too much, we're going to let them do some of that to help them feel more comfortable here. Their names are Samuel, Steven, and Stacy. You'll be seeing them this Friday."

Rachel nodded. "I'll just prepare those two rooms and the one next to mine for Santana then?" she asked, already lost in the linen closet as she got lost in the task. She loved that she got to share her home and self, hating being an only child, she relished the company whenever she got any.

~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~

Santana felt strange, driving into school that morning with a genuine friend by her side, and for once she was smiling at the conversation she was having, and not smirking to mask her insecurities.

"I'm sorry, Santana, I'll have to leave you for a bit, Brittany is expecting me, and I don't want to create any unnecessary tension. " Rachel apologised, sincerely despising the current situation.

"That's ok, Rae. She needs you more than I. Take care of her please, and give her a hug for me?" Santana was determined to fix things, but she knew that it would take time, and she was done with rushing and messing things up

* * *

><p><strong>Last note: <strong>Hopefully I will be setting up a more regular writing schedule from the 1st of September...until then, I'm actually trying to commit more words to the page


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